Dr. Faye Gilbert, who earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in business administration at The University of Southern Mississippi, will return to her alma mater as the next dean of the University’s College of Business. Pending approval by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, her official start date will be July 1.

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of History recently hosted the National History Day in Mississippi competition. Approximately 180 junior high and high school students competed in this “history fair” styled event Feb. 23, with 60 Southern Miss faculty and students serving as judges. Following the competition, an awards ceremony was held in Joseph Green Hall on the Hattiesburg campus.

Students from the Department of Art and Design at The University of Southern Mississippi took top honors at the annual awards dinner hosted by the American Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards Feb. 23.

Rick Bennett, a University of Southern Mississippi alumnus who is program director for the Toronto Film School at RCC Institute of Technology, speaks to students enrolled in a video production class on the Southern Miss Hattiesburg campus Feb. 27. The next day he visited with film students on the Gulf Coast campus. Bennett, an award winning writer, director and producer in a career spanning more than three decades, shared his experiences and gave advice to the students about the entertainment industry. Bennett also founded the film program at the Toronto Film School and the Keon International Film Academy in Mumbai, India. While a student at Southern Miss, he was roommates with famed singer Jimmy Buffett and also played in his band. (University Communications photo by David Tisdale)

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi, announced today the winners of the 27thannual Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards.

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Logistics, Trade and Transportation (CLTT) hosted the 2013 Industry Advisory Council Summit on March 1, for industry professionals looking to promote common goals in logistics, trade and transportation.

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Libraries will host the free webinar, “Proposal Writing Basics,” for nonprofit groups looking for guidance on how to write grant proposals. The webinar will be held Tuesday, March 12, from 12 – 1 p.m. in room 213 of the Gulf Coast Library on the university’s Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach.

A University of Southern Mississippi graduate student's research has earned a first place award from the Southeastern Psychological Association's (SEPA) Committee on Equality for Professional Opportunity (CEPO).

With three successful conferences already under their belts, officials at the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4), expect the fourth edition to be even bigger and better.

The 4th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition is set for July 16-18, 2013 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando. The theme for this year’s conference is “Sharing New Knowledge: A Global Perspective.”

The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi hosted a live webinar Feb 26 as part of the NCS4 Membership Campaign. The webinar, “Gate Entry Issues at Sport Events,” was the first in a series of webinars that NCS4 will present throughout the year.

Dr. Lou Marciani, director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi, came away from a White House-initiated panel discussion on gun violence encouraged by what he saw and heard.

A memorial service for University of Southern Mississippi students, faculty and staff who passed away during the academic year will be held on the Hattiesburg campus Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center, room 218.

Dr. Joshua Otaigbe, a professor in The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, has been awarded the Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair in France for the fall 2013 semester.

A University of Southern Mississippi history professor has earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholar award to study and teach in Vietnam, enhancing her research on the Southeast Asian nation’s impact on U.S. foreign relations and culture.

Sometimes, the winds of fate will put a person in the most unusual, uncomfortable, unforgettable circumstances.

That is precisely where University of Alabama sophomore Annelise Moreau found herself as she came face-to-face with a monstrous tornado that raked the Hattiesburg area, including The University of Southern Mississippi campus, on Feb. 10.

“I was horrified because I had a front row seat into the center of a tornado. I was sure I was going to die,” said Moreau, 20, who was driving through Hattiesburg as the weather worsened that Sunday evening.

Eastbank Pub, located at 709 Ingalls Avenue in Pascagoula, will host a benefit Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3 for The University of Southern Mississippi’s art and music programs impacted by the tornado that recently struck the Hattiesburg campus. Admission is free.

Dr. Margot Hall, a professor in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science at The University of Southern Mississippi, received the Dudley Peeler Award during the Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting held Feb. 21-22 on the Southern Miss campus. The award is presented for outstanding contributions toward the advancement of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. (Submitted photo)

The Student Dietetic Association within the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems at The University of Southern Mississippi sponsored an “Eat Well Hattiesburg” Nutrition and Fitness Fair on Feb. 23 at Pride Field on the Hattiesburg campus.

The event was designed to introduce the Hattiesburg community to vendors that provide healthy nutrition and food options in the Pine Belt. The student group also sought to supply a venue for all ages to come enjoy themselves and learn about nutrition and fitness.

Author and civil rights figure, James Meredith, will give a book talk and sign copies of his latest publication, “A Mission from God: A Memoir and Challenge for America,” at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Hosted by the Gulf Coast Libraries, the book talk and signing will be held Thursday, March 7, at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the library.